Our Team
Directors
Sara Tennen, Esq., MSW, Executive Director
Sara Tennen oversees the entire programmatic, operations, and development functions of DCVLP, ensuring ongoing programmatic excellence, rigorous evaluation, and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, and communications. She leads strategic outreach to law firms and community partners, and works with our Director of Development to oversee fundraising efforts. She started her legal career as a prosecutor with Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in Arizona, where she prosecuted sex crimes against children. Sara later practiced family law in Arizona, Maryland, and the District. Sara has served as a court appointed guardian ad litem on behalf of numerous children in DC Superior Court. Ms. Tennen serves on the Superior Court Domestic Relations Branch Subcommittee and was a member of the Best Practices in Child Testimony Task Force, alongside other legal services providers and Superior Court Judges. She has extensive litigation experience questioning experts, dealing with foundational issues in trial, and interviewing children, both inside and outside the courtroom. Ms. Tennen, a trained mediator and forensic interviewer, earned a law degree and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Case Western Reserve University and a B.A. in Psychology and Women’s Studies from the University of Rochester.
Aida Vindell, Esq., Co-Legal Director
Aida Vindell is DCVLP’s Co-Legal Director, overseeing our Domestic Violence Program. She is a native Spanish speaker and a licensed attorney in the District and Maryland. Before joining DCVLP in 2019, Aida was a Senior Attorney at Children’s Law Center where she represented children in abuse and neglect proceedings and represented plaintiffs in custody matters. Before that she was a Staff Attorney at Ayuda, where she represented domestic violence and sexual assault survivors in protection order, custody and divorce proceedings. Aida earned her Bachelor of Public Administration from Florida International University and her J.D. from the University of the District of Columbia.
Lauren Snow, Esq., MSW, Co-Legal Director
Lauren Snow is DCVLP’s Co-Legal Director, overseeing the Domestic Violence and Child Advocacy Practices. In addition, Lauren manages DCVLP’s team of wonderful client advocates who provide holistic non-legal support, including safety planning, crisis intervention, and community resource referrals to ensure each client’s long-term safety and well-being. Lauren began her career in the education field, first as a teacher and later as a family case manager for early childhood special education. Throughout law school, Lauren participated in the Child Advocacy Law Clinic, serving as a Guardian ad Litem for children in abuse and neglect cases. Lauren earned her J.D. and M.S.W. from the University of Michigan and her B.A. from Georgetown University. She is licensed to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Marcy Baskin, Director of Grants and Foundational Giving
Marcy Baskin is responsible for all aspects of the grant and foundational giving process. Marcy has primary responsibility for researching, cultivating, and applying for private foundation and government grants. Prior to DCVLP, Marcy was a Director at Elevate, a consulting firm that works with mission driven nonprofit organizations. At Elevate, Marcy developed and implemented comprehensive institution fundraising strategies and handled all aspects of foundational grant giving. Marcy has extensive experience in both private foundations and government grants. Before her position at Elevate, Marcy worked in a variety of grant roles at nonprofit organizations in Washington, D.C., and Charlottesville, Va. Marcy also has experience working in a school program for Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic as an ESOL teacher. Marcy is a longtime volunteer with Upwardly Global and Lutheran Social Services, two local organizations supporting refugee families.
Sara Jamison, Director of Volunteer Engagement and Strategic Partnerships
Sara Jamison oversees DCVLP’s volunteer engagement and strategic partnerships, serving as the initial point of contact for new volunteer lawyers, law firms, and community partners. Sara actively works with the Executive Director to organize and coordinate programs designed to enrich volunteer experience at DCVLP. Sara also partners with the Development team in implementing DCVLP’s comprehensive fundraising program. Her background is in educational advancement, having most recently served as the Annual Giving Manager at Connelly School of the Holy Child. Sara currently serves on the Board of Directors at Mary of Nazareth Catholic School. She has a B.A. in Mass Communication and Spanish (Cum Laude) from the University of Delaware; an M.A. in Spanish Language and Literature (Honors) from the University of Delaware; and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the University of Maryland.
Brian Yourish, Director of Operations
Brian oversees DCVLP’s administration, finances, and human resources. He also plays a role in grants management and event planning. Previously, Brian was Constitutional Accountability Center’s Office Manager, where he was responsible for daily office operations, including office management, technology support, human resources, and vendor relations. Prior to joining CAC, Brian was the Office Manager at The Constitution Project. Brian also worked as the Legal Assistant with the American Immigration Council’s Legal Action Center in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, Brian was the Climate Change Program Administrator at the Vancouver, Canada-based David Suzuki Foundation. Brian received his B.A. in English from the University of Maryland.
Program Attorneys
Daniela Huerta Garcia, Esq., Managing Attorney, Immigration Program
Daniela is the Managing Attorney for the Immigration Program. She joined DCVLP in 2022. Daniela was previously an antitrust associate in the Washington, DC office of White & Case LLP. While at White & Case, Daniela maintained an active pro bono practice, including counseling clients regarding asylum matters, drafting comments in opposition to proposed Department of Homeland Security rules, and advocating for the release of a Guantanamo detainee. During law school, she led and participated in various immigration clinics and worked at an immigration law firm, focusing on asylum and other forms of relief. Before starting her legal career, Daniela worked as a field representative for a Member of Congress, focusing on community building and advocating for constituents. Daniela earned her J.D. from University of California, Berkeley School of Law and two B.A.s from The University of Texas at Dallas. She is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia. Daniela is a native Spanish speaker.
Norah Sloss, Esq., Managing Attorney, Custody and Divorce
Norah Sloss is a Managing Attorney for custody and divorce in our Domestic Violence program, representing domestic violence survivors in civil protection order and family law cases. Prior to joining DCVLP in 2021, Norah was an associate at The Law Office of Rebekah Sullivan, where she represented clients in various family law matters in Washington, DC and Maryland. Previously, Norah was the Staff Attorney for the Domestic Violence Legal Wellness Program of Community Legal Services of Prince George’s County. Norah began working with survivors of domestic violence on civil protective order and family law cases in D.C. Superior Court, as a student attorney with the Families and the Law Clinic at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. Norah received her JD from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law with a concentration in family law and she received her B.S. from Loyola University New Orleans.
Katherine Bradley, Esq., Managing Attorney, Montgomery County
Katherine has been involved with DCVLP since she took DCVLP’s first family law case in 2009. Since then, she has volunteered and been on staff at DCVLP, representing clients in civil protective orders, divorce and custody cases involving domestic violence, and as a Guardian ad litem. Katherine was the first hire for DCVLP’s expansion into Montgomery County, Maryland, where she provides representation to domestic violence survivors in protection orders and family law cases. Katherine graduated with a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from UCLA Law School. After law school, Katherine clerked for the Honorable Arthur L. Alarcon on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She was then an associate at Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering before taking time off to raise her four children. Katherine is a certified mediator and speaks conversational Spanish.
Karen Foxman, Esq., Managing Attorney, Montgomery County
Karen joined DCVLP in 2023 as a Managing Attorney in the Montgomery County office. Karen previously worked for Maryland Legal Aid in Montgomery County as a Children in Need of Assistance (CINA) attorney, representing children involved in child abuse and neglect proceedings, and more recently as a Managing Attorney at Disability Rights Maryland. Prior to joining Maryland Legal Aid, Karen volunteered with DCVLP, representing survivors in family law cases, as well as serving as a Guardian ad litem in DC Superior Court. Karen began her legal career representing New York City’s child welfare agency in child abuse and neglect proceedings in New York County Family Court. Karen received her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law and her B.A. from Brandeis University. Karen is licensed to practice law in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and New York, and she is proficient in Spanish.
Stephanie Bergman, Esq., Supervising Attorney
Stephanie Bergman is a Supervising Attorney in DCVLP’s Domestic Violence Program. Stephanie handles Civil Protection Order and family law matters on behalf of survivors of domestic violence. Stephanie joined DCVLP as a Roxana Cannon Arsht Law Fellow in March 2021. She was a DVCLP volunteer representing at-risk children as a court-appointed guardian ad litem from 2017-2021. Stephanie previously practiced as a litigation associate at Steptoe & Johnson in Washington, D.C., and Connolly Epstein Chicco Foxman Engelmyer and Ewing in Philadelphia, PA, and as a staff attorney at the National Endowment for the Humanities. Stephanie earned a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a B.A. from Lehigh University.
Jennie Berman, Esq., Supervising Attorney
Ms. Berman is a Supervising Attorney handling protection order cases. She joined DCVLP in 2018 as the Roxana Cannon Arsht Law Fellow. Prior to joining the staff, Ms. Berman was a volunteer with DCVLP. Ms. Berman previously practiced as a litigation associate in the New York office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. While at Morgan Lewis, she also worked on pro bono cases assisting domestic violence survivors. Ms. Berman earned her J.D. from Rutgers School of Law and her B.A. from Wellesley College. She is proficient in Spanish.
Tara Branine, Esq., Equal Justice Works Fellow Sponsored by Crowell & Moring Foundation
Tara joined DCVLP in 2022 as an Equal Justice Works Fellow, sponsored by Crowell & Moring Foundation. Tara’s fellowship focuses on representing survivors who have suffered gun violence or were threatened by gun violence. Her representation focuses on Civil Protection Order and Extreme Risk Protection Order cases. Tara also provides representation in a limited number of family law cases where a child custody order or divorce decree would provide continued stability and violence prevention. Additionally, Tara provides know-your-rights presentations and work with the DCVLP’s community partners to educate the community about the availability of Extreme Risk Protection Orders. Tara graduated with her J.D. from University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2022. Tara received her B.A. from University of California, Los Angeles. Tara is proficient in Spanish.
Amy Coles, Esq., Supervising Attorney
Amy joined DCVLP in 2021 as a Roxana Cannon Arsht Law Fellow. Prior to joining the staff, Amy was a volunteer with DCVLP. Before that, Amy practiced law as a securities attorney. After law school, Amy clerked for the Honorable Deborah S. Byrnes, on the Court of Special Appeals in Maryland. She received her J.D. from the University of Baltimore Law School and her B.A. from Loyola University.
Sarah Deibler, Esq., LL.M. Supervising Attorney
Sarah Deibler is a Supervising Attorney in DCVLP’s Immigration Program. Prior to joining DCVLP in 2023, Sarah provided pro bono legal representation to Massachusetts residents seeking asylum and applying for naturalization. In her asylum practice, she worked primarily with survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and, in her naturalization practice, she worked primarily with clients seeking disability-based exceptions to English language and civics testing requirements. In addition to practicing immigration law, Sarah has written a doctoral dissertation examining the role of international advocacy in the prosecution of forced marriage as a crime against humanity. She has also taught legal research and writing skills to LL.M. students as a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School. Sarah received her LL.M. from Northeastern University School of Law, and her LL.B. from the London School of Economics.
Madison (Maddie) Glennie, Esq., Medical-Legal Partnerships Supervising Attorney
Maddie is DCVLP’s Medical-Legal Partnerships Supervising Attorney. In that role, she manages two medical-legal partnerships that she created, which are located at Children’s National Columbia Heights and AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Maddie also supervises volunteer attorneys on cases in DCVLP’s Immigration practice area. Maddie joined DCVLP in September 2021 as an Equal Justice Works Fellow, sponsored by DLA Piper LLP (US) and Verizon Foundation. During law school, Maddie represented domestic violence survivors as a student attorney with the Georgetown Law Domestic Violence Clinic. She also assisted refugee survivors of gender-based violence at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Malaysia. With the National Women’s Law Center and Legal Voice, Maddie aided in ongoing cases and researched reproductive justice law and policy. Ms. Glennie graduated with her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2021. Prior to law school, Maddie worked with survivors of human trafficking, and she received her B.A. from Drake University.
Ricardo Gomez, Esq., Staff Attorney, Immigration Program, Medical-Legal Partnerships
Ricardo Gomez is a Medical-Legal Partnership Staff Attorney at DCVLP. In this role, he provides brief legal advice in immigration and domestic violence at DCVLP legal clinics co-located inside medical clinics throughout DC and also provides high quality direct representation in immigration and domestic violence cases. Ricardo began working with immigrants during law school where he played an active role in various immigration clinics, assisting in asylum, SIJS, U-visa, and custody and bond cases. In addition, he was an Equal Justice Works – Rural Summer Legal Corps Fellow at Legal Services of Greater Miami, where he provided direct legal services, engaged in community outreach and education, and assisted in litigation concerning affordable housing and evictions. Prior to joining DCVLP, Ricardo was a bipartisan legislative advocate, where he met with Congress and federal government departments and agencies to advocate for increased education, resources, and programs to help veterans access economic opportunities after service. Ricardo earned his B.A. from Hawaii Pacific University and J.D. from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. He is an eight-year Marine Corps veteran and a native Spanish speaker
Vanessa Hernandez, Esq., Supervising Attorney
Vanessa Hernandez is a Supervising Attorney in our Domestic Violence Program. Prior to joining DCVLP, Vanessa worked for CAIR Coalition advocating for and representing detained immigrant children in their humanitarian cases. While at CAIR Coalition, Vanessa served minors from Central America by providing direct representation to them and by mentoring pro bono attorneys who volunteered to take their cases. Vanessa has previously worked with survivors of domestic violence at CAIR Coalition and during her internships with Ayuda and with the Domestic Violence Unit at DC Superior Court. Before starting her legal career, Vanessa worked for NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as a Resources Analyst. Vanessa earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus; her Master’s degree from the University of Maryland Global Campus; and her J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.
Elaine Holmes, Esq., Supervising Attorney
Elaine Holmes is a Supervising Attorney handling protection order and family law cases on behalf of survivors of domestic violence. She joined DCVLP in 2021. Prior to joining the staff, Ms. Holmes was a staff attorney at the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, where she handled a full caseload of protective order, family law and employment cases. Prior to that, Ms. Holmes was an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Akin Gump Straus Hauer & Feld LLP and the New York office of Duane Morris LLP. While in private practice, she also worked on pro bono cases assisting domestic violence survivors. Ms. Holmes earned her J.D. from New York University of Law and her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. Elaine speaks basic Spanish and is working towards proficiency.
Masooma Hussain, Esq., Supervising Attorney
Masooma Hussain is a supervising attorney in the Domestic Violence and Family Law Program at DCVLP. Prior to this position, Masooma served as a bilingual staff attorney at Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC), where she represented and advocated on behalf of victims of crimes, including sexual assault and domestic violence, and surviving family members of homicide victims. She also has experience with family law, having served as a judicial law clerk at the DC Superior Court’s Domestic Relations Branch and representing clients, pro bono, in divorce and custody cases at Aydua. In addition to her legal career, Masooma comes to DCVLP with experience in policy, having advocated for funding for early childhood programs such as universal pre-k and home-visitation – former campaigns of The Pew Charitable Trusts – and investigations, serving as the analyst-in-charge for investigations undertaken by the Office of the DC Auditor, including the evaluation of DC’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, Metropolitan Police Department’s Investigation of First Amendment Activities, and the District of Columbia Public Schools’ school meals program. Masooma received her B.A. from New York University and J.D. from the Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America.
Michaela Lovejoy, Esq., Immigration Supervising Attorney
Michaela joined DCVLP in 2022 as an Immigration Supervising Attorney. Prior to this role, Michaela was an Equal Justice Works Fellow and Staff Attorney that advocated for survivors of human trafficking and power-based violence seeking safety in the court and immigration systems through targeted outreach and community coordination, direct legal services, and pro bono mentorship. Michaela earned a J.D. from The George Washington University School of Law in 2020, and a B.A. from Tulane University in 2015. Michaela is proficient in Spanish.
Najja Ogundiran, Esq., Roxana Cannon Arsht Law Fellow
Najja Ogundiran joined DCVLP in 2023 as a Roxana Cannon Arsht Law Fellow. Prior to this role, Najja was the Assistant Director for Academic Advising at The George Washington University’s School of Engineering & Applied Science. Najja earned a J.D. from Stetson College of Law in 2013 and a B.A. from Howard University in 2007. During law school, Najja served as a Guardian ad Litem and a certified legal intern with the Pinellas County Public Defender’s Office Juvenile Division where she represented youth in dependency and delinquency court.
Colleen Petroni, Esq., Supervising Attorney
Colleen is a Supervising Attorney in our Child Advocacy Program. She serves as a court-appointed Guardian ad litem for children in complex custody cases in DC Superior Court. Prior to joining the DCVLP staff, Colleen was a volunteer attorney with DCVLP for ten years. Colleen began her legal career as a litigation associate in the Washington D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Prior to attending law school, Colleen served as an officer in the United States Air Force. Colleen earned her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a B.S in computer science from the University of Notre Dame. She is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
Dana K. Rubin, Esq., Supervising Attorney
Dana Rubin is a Supervising Attorney in our Child Advocacy Program. She serves as a court-appointed Guardian ad litem for children in complex custody cases in DC Superior Court. Prior to joining DCVLP in 2021, Dana was a Guardian ad litem for children in abuse and neglect cases in D.C. and an Assistant Attorney General in the Child Protection Section of the D.C. Office of the Attorney General. She received her J.D. from American University Washington College of Law and her B.A. from Brandeis University.
Juliette Singarella, Esq., Staff Attorney
Juliette is a Staff Attorney in the Child Advocacy Program. She serves as Guardian ad litem for children in complex custody cases in DC Superior Court. Prior to joining DCVLP in 2023, Juliette was a law clerk at DC Superior Court where she advised two Associate Judges on the Domestic Relations Branch and managed a docket of divorce, custody, and child support cases. Juliette earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. from Vanderbilt University. She is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia and Virginia.
Robyn Swanson, Esq., Supervising Attorney for Impact Litigation and Advocacy
Robyn is DCVLP’s Supervising Attorney for Impact Litigation and Advocacy. In that role, she oversees DCVLP’s appellate practice and supports the organization’s strategic advocacy, outreach, and communication efforts on policy issues. Robyn joined DCVLP in 2020 as the Roxana Cannon Arsht Law Fellow and in 2021 became a Supervising Attorney in the Child Advocacy Practice. She has supervised volunteer Guardians ad litem in over 50 custody cases in D.C. Superior Court. Prior to joining the DCVLP staff, Robyn served as a volunteer attorney in cases across all of DCVLP’s practice areas, including immigration, divorce/custody, and domestic violence. Robyn began her legal career as an Honors Attorney at the U.S. Department of Labor, where she handled a range of rulemaking, policy, and enforcement matters. As a government attorney defending the rights of retirement plan participants, and later as an associate in the Washington D.C. office of Cohen Milstein, she gained over 10 years of experience in all stages of complex plaintiff-side litigation, from case development and complaint drafting to discovery, motions practice, and bench trials. She has also briefed and argued numerous cases in U.S. Courts of Appeals and has experience drafting briefs opposing certiorari to the Supreme Court as well as amicus curiae briefs in matters pending before federal district and circuit courts. During law school, Robyn was a student fellow at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law and the Chicago Legal Clinic. Through her school’s clinical program, she also represented children and victims of gender-based violence in asylum cases. Robyn earned her J.D. from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Washington. She is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia.
Programmatic Staff
Nia J. Cook, Grants & Development Manager
Nia serves as the point person for government grant reporting and collaborates with the Director of Grants and Foundational Giving on drafting, editing, and submitting foundation and government grants and reports. Prior to working with DCVLP, Nia worked as a Legal Assistant and Investigator with the Capital Representation Resource Center based in Charlottesville, VA. She has interned and interpreted for international nonprofit organizations in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Nia received a B.A. in African American Studies and a B.A. in Spanish from the University of Virginia in 2018.
Cole Migas, Domestic Violence Program Coordinator
Cole connects volunteer attorneys with cases in DCVLP’s domestic violence practice and coordinates our weekly community-based legal clinics. Prior to DCVLP, Cole served as an AmeriCorps member with City Year, where he assisted in math and language arts instruction at a public middle school in Washington D.C. Cole is passionate about education reform as well as ensuring equitable access to legal services regardless of any barriers. Cole received his B.A. in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Gargie Nagarkar, Data Evaluation & Grants Compliance Manager
Gargie is fluent in English, French, and Marathi. She manages our client and case data to create grant reports and to ensure grant compliance. She oversees our intern program, provides legal assistance to our attorneys, and assists with grant writing, grant tracking, event planning and outreach. She is also DCVLP’s point of contact for the Victim Legal Network of DC (VLNDC). Prior to DCVLP, Gargie was a Legal Assistant with Virginia Capital Representation Resource Center in Charlottesville, Va. She received a B.S. in Sociology with Honors, Summa Cum Laude, from Virginia Tech in 2018.
Maria Velez, Victim & Community Outreach Manager
Maria manages and designs DCVLP’s online and print communications, marketing, and outreach materials for clients, community partners, and donors. Maria manages all aspects of DCVLP’s events including volunteer trainings and fundraisers and serves as the primary point of contact for community outreach partners, coordinates MOUs, and manages DCVLP’s website. Maria’s background includes event management, marketing, and entrepreneurship as well as experience in social services. Maria started working at DCVLP as the Client Advocate for the Immigration Program. Prior to that she worked as a Family Liaison for Fairfax County Public Schools and as an Account Assistant in a marketing and branding agency. She also volunteers as an Advocate for children in the foster care system as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).
Jakiah Webb, Data and Grants Coordinator
Jakiah provides support for the Data Evaluation & Grants Compliance Manager through managing and reporting client and case data, as well as assisting with grant writing and compliance. She is also responsible for streamlining daily operations through administration and office management. Prior to working with DCVLP, Jakiah worked as a researcher for Trans Lifeline and has volunteered for a few local nonprofits in her hometown of Fort Pierce, Florida. She earned her MS in Justice, Law, & Criminology from American University.
Social Services
Annabelle Lopane, Program Coordinator, Child Advocacy & Immigration Programs
Annabelle connects DCVLP’s child and immigration clients and their families in our Child Advocacy and Immigration Programs with social services throughout the DC area. She onboards new volunteers, assigns teams of attorneys to immigration and Guardian ad litem cases, and provides ongoing administrative support to the volunteer teams throughout their cases. Annabelle previously interned at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a nonprofit that provides legal and social services assistance for children that are unaccompanied. Annabelle worked on projects at KIND that bolstered the organization’s internal resource database and overall social services. Annabelle also worked as an advocate at DC SAFE, which is the only 24/7 crisis intervention agency in D.C. At DC SAFE, Annabelle learned the complexities of safety planning and the importance of being an empathetic and trauma informed advocate with domestic violence survivors. Annabelle studied marketing and entrepreneurship at Clemson University in South Carolina and received a Master of Public Administration from Anderson University.
Jaquelyn Diaz, Client Advocate
Jaquelyn provides social support to immigrant clients and their families by connecting them with community resources in DC. Prior to joining DCVLP, Jaquelyn was working with unaccompanied immigrant children who were detained by the government at the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. Jaquelyn supported children upon their release from custody by connecting them and their families to local community resources throughout the country. As a child of immigrants, Jaquelyn is passionate about supporting immigrant families in their resettlement efforts. Jaquelyn is a native Spanish speaker
Hayes Parker-Kepchar, Client Advocate
Hayes supports clients with remaining non-legal needs after their cases have wrapped up. Hayes helps clients navigate housing and public benefits and connects them to other resources, such as food assistance and counseling. Prior to joining DCVLP, Hayes managed a team of case managers in a rapid re-housing program, where she developed a deep passion for affordable housing. Hayes started her work in interpersonal violence while attending The College of William & Mary, where she received her undergraduate degree in Sociology. While in school, Hayes provided peer support to students who had been affected by interpersonal violence and provided healthy relationships education to the student body at large. Hayes is dedicated to addressing the root causes of domestic violence, including patriarchy, income inequality, and racism, and particularly enjoys working with survivors in the LGBTQ+ community.
Julia Wiener, Client Advocate
Julia provides non legal support to survivors in divorce and custody processes. Prior to DCVLP, through various rape crisis centers and community programs, Julia supported survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence in prisons, hospitals, and the general community. Julia has managed medical advocacy programs in Boston and D.C. and developed a pilot rape crisis hotline in Mexico City. Julia began working with survivors while studying Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies at Harvard College. Julia believes that every survivor deserves the individualized resources needed to access safety and healing and is passionate about connecting survivors to those resources and keeping them safe and connected within their communities. Julia speaks Spanish.